The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-02
Learning COntentment.

LeaTHlHg tOHtentinent.
The Rev. Bartholomew Brown was
good man, thoroughly consecrated to
his profession. But he, being human,
had weaknesses and foibles and was
undeniably nervous. Sometimes, it
must be admitted, he was irritable
Noises interrupted the flow of his med
itations and agents had joggled more
than one of his discOurses into ruins;
nevertheless, he was good man.
South Turkeyville was a thriving
eastern railway center, said by some of
its admirers to be almost western in its
activity. Mr.. Browns church, the
orthodox, had the largest and hand
soonest Westinghouse in the village.
Its spire was the tallest, its bell the
most expensive, and, thanks to Mr..
Browns eXertions, it contained the
largest organ. The orthodox fold con-
tanned the first families. They gave
literally to missions, spent six hundred
year on choir, and were, on the
whole, very harmonious people.
Notwithstanding all these happy condi-
tiOns, Mr. Brown was at times decidedly
discontinued and unhappy. These
times came usually the first of May, for
the orthodox church had no parsonage.
Given twelve hundred year. paid cas-
ually, and with certain per cent of it
left in Notwithstanding limbo
called d" back salary" man finds
twenty-five dollars month paid
promptly a burden. Moreover, moving
is costly business. Oil-cloths and cur
tains never fit. Stove-pipes have a
maddening tendency to come apart and
stay so, and the best-intentioned draw
man will sometimes set the sofa on top
of the china basket.
The Browns were refined New En-
CHAMBERS, with large endowment of the
gift called " faculty." The most dreary
old rattletrap of house became
cosy home under their management.
Flowers and grasses took the place of
weeds. Spotless glass took the place
of old hats, and the premises soon wore
that air of well-being which awakens in
the alert landlord the impression that he
does not ask enough rent. The conse-
quence was that a rise in rent drove Mr..
Brown into discomfort and new quar-
tiers every year. During May it was
expected that his shapely fingers would
be ornamented with linen bandages
and that he would preach old sermons,
while his wife would disappear from
public view altogether.
When, however, Mr.. Brown prepared
to move for the seventh time, his irri-
tation reached such pitch that he told
the deacon that the church must that
year build a parsonage, or he would
leave South Turkeyville forever. Dea-
con Twitchell, who dreaded change, at
once wrote a notice for a meeting to
consider the matter, and though Nina
dab Pettis, the clerk, read with heavy
emphasis on the wrong words, as his
habit was, the people turned out with a
hearty goodwill.
There was no question of land. Mr..
Flipper, the president of the board of
trustees, said there was plenty of room
behind the Westinghouse for parson-
age. Mr.. Brown said he did not like
the location. The house would of ne
cessity face the north, and would be
quite shut off from the afternoon sun.
Moreover, it would be devoid of shade
on the east, as well as exposed to all
the dust and smells of the alley.
Mr.. Twitchell, the conservative dea-
con, was shocked and said that in his
opinion the proper place for parson-
age was beside the church, and if that
were not possible, behind it. Mr.
Featherly, the little deacon, said: If
anybody gave me a house to live in /
wouldn't growl about the spot, if it was
healthy" So the question of situation
was dropped.
Old Squire Bull, who owned whole
oil well, besides sections of several
coal mines, but who had always OPP
posed the building of parsonage on
the ground of expense, surprised every
one by offering quantity of old lum-
Der. Deacon Twitchell, who was put
ting plate-glass into the upright part of
his house, offered to give his old
windows. Mr.. Flipper offered hand
some supply of auction gas-fxtures,
and Deacon Featherly, who was poor,
and could ill-afford it, agreed to furnish
all the paint for the interior and put
it on.
Before the week was over men were
digging the parsonage cellar, and Mr..
and Mrs. Brown were struggling to
persuade the building committee that
light and closets were even more es-
sential than the great double parlor,
piohhcu, bcucoh WllCHcll cApldiueu,
for church socials. In spite of small
annoyances, those were happy days to
the husband and wife. With little
Peter Paul, their darling only child,
they watched Sour house" growing
into the air inch by inch with the
keenest delight, and debated, with
never-fagging interest, how they would
spend the three hundred year it would
save to them.
AS have said, Mr.. Brown was ner-
vous. He had worked his way into his
profession toilsomely, and when at last
he was able to marry his beloved
Mary, whom he had wooed during the
dewy morning of the freshman year at
college, he was thirty-ive, with an in
cipient bald spot and fixed habits. The
first lesson little Peter Paul learned
was to keep still at home. But he re-
venged himself by making a terrific
noise whenever opportunity offered.
The new parsonage promised peculiar
delights to him.
81 shall go in every Sunday morning
and see old Josh Ruby ring the big